The Right Time For Love
by IcedOverFire
Summary: When the past comes back and forces you to fix up some loose ends, what's a girl to do but face that damn, smirking face of his and slap that smug smile right off his gorgeous face?
1. Chapter 1

_Hey everyone! Chapters one through four have been _heavily_ edited and I'm working on the rest. Just so you know this is going to probably end in the eighteenth chapter and I _promise_ that the ending won't be rushed. I'm taking out the chapters I haven't been able to edit yet but I'll be reposting them soon enough._

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed this, you have no idea how helpful you guys have been! I'll remember to acknowledge each and every one of you in the end of the story._

_I've changed a lot of things, including the title, but rest assured it's still all about Dark and Riku—with a twist for Risa. If you want to know what I've done to these lovely characters _(that I don't own, by the way)_ please read on. I appreciate comments, suggestions and reviews. _

_I really hope you enjoy the story! It's been such a pain editing this and your reviews would make that all worthwhile. (Laughs) Sorry for taking so much of your time already. Here's the edited version of __**Right Place At The Right Time**__._

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**THE RIGHT TIME FOR LOVE**

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Riku Harada has always been an unknown writer. Though top of her class and an unbelievable talent, she's still thought of as an amateur.

She had finished college a year ago and yet no matter how hard she tried to get her stories published something always seemed to go wrong. She and her sister went to New York after graduation to try their luck. Unfortunately everything didn't seem to go as planned—at least for Riku, not so much with her sister.

Riku had endured a year of pain from self-absorbed and conceited publishers and she was fucking sick of it all. She swore to herself that she'd find a way to make them regret everything they ever did to her. She promised herself when she first stepped into her college building five years ago that nothing would get in her way to get all her dreams fulfilled—as long as she had a say in any decision—and she was keeping that promise. Year of torture or none, she was going to do everything she could possibly imagine to be known by the whole world as one of the best.

"All of you bitches and assholes deserve one another. I swear the time will come when all of you will regret the day you turned me down. Just you wait and see, soon, every single person in this planet will know of Riku Harada."

Riku was sitting down, finishing a new story for yet another interview. It was useless, she was sure of it, but she needed all the experience she could get. The one good thing about working with all those damn editors and publishers over the last year was her learning of all the necessary tasks to be done and so on and so forth. She needed the skill of editing because an author in the twenty-first century didn't rely on anyone to do the job but themselves. Unlike decades ago, anyone who had money and the skills of a good writer could hire anyone to do the editing when they were done making the story.

The only other help an author could get nowadays is their publishers, if you're lucky enough to find one. But of course, to get a publisher you have to have edited your story and experience in other forms of literature, like journalism, to prove to the publishers that they could still use you in some distant future. If you asked Riku, she would tell you that all that's just bull and she couldn't care less about work experience if only publishers didn't have so many ulterior motives.

In all honesty Riku was in her predicament now because all of the publishers she went to gave her jobs instead of agreeing to publish her book. For example, she's had offers to become the editor of magazines or a columnist in some famous newspaper—but it was never what she wanted. It was a big waste of time but she had no other choice. The silver lining of it all was that the jobs have good pays and Riku was now rich and successful. It was just promotion after promotion but she _still_ wasn't an official author.

Risa appeared then and apparently overheard her twin sister mumbling to herself—again. Risa shook her head, standing in her sister's open doorway.

"What are you mumbling about now, Riku? Is it something you want to talk about? " asked a long haired, soft-spoken young woman with a sweet smile and sincere innocent eyes.

Her name is Risa Harada, the well-loved and the more well-known of the Harada twins.

She just also happened to be one of the most well-known fashion designers and run-way models of their time. _Everyone_ knew her even though she graduated at the same time her sister did. She was the more fortunate one though, being seen with and by the right people. Obviously, being a fashion designer is much, _much_ easier than being an author because of fashion's being the center of New York's economy. Risa knew that, thus her choice of careers—she wasn't all that great with words either.

"It's none of your business. If you really want to help, I suggest that you leave my room and avoid talking to me for the rest of the day. I cannot bear having you hanging around here asking me freaking questions that you know I won't answer."

'_The hell I won't answer! If I don't answer half of your questions on a regular day, the more I won't _today_! I have yet _another_ editorial position to think about, thank the gods. Why can't they get it through their thick skulls that I don't want their bloody jobs?'_

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure." Riku rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. She faced her sister knowing that whatever reason Risa came to her wouldn't wait.

"Um…Riku, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it this time?" she asked back with an exasperated sigh.

"If I said that I have a boyfriend and that he's coming here tonight for dinner, would it be alright if I introduce him to you?" She paused to let the question sink in.

"And will you not stay in your room to finish your story instead of going downstairs and having a civilized conversation with people other than me and or our close friends and relatives?" Risa looked at her sister with a sheepish look on her face.

"It would really mean a lot to me if you gave your approval, 'Ku. Please, _please_ with ice cream and hot fudge on top?" the younger twin pleaded hopefully, a worried smile etched on her face.

Riku couldn't help the laugh that escaped her; Risa just knew the right things to crack her up. She glanced back at the half-finished manuscript on her desk then back at her sister. Riku sighed knowing that she would do anything for her sister. "Sure, if it means so much to you then I'll talk with this guy of yours." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you_! You're the _greatest_, 'Ku! You're an _absolute angel_!" Risa squealed, jumping up and down with a grin that almost reached her ears.

"He isn't Dark Mousy, is he?" Riku thought aloud suddenly, a scowl replacing the smile she was wearing only seconds ago.

That was the golden question Risa wished her sister would never ask. But she knew it was coming, it was her fault anyway, talking about only Dark for two years straight.

"No, it's not him but to be honest, I really did like him before, 'Ku. But now I think of Dark as a friend and no more. Riku, I've met someone else! Someone so wonderful, someone who made my heart beat so fast I couldn't resist finally falling for him!"

"_Finally _falling for him? What do you mean by that?" Riku raised an eyebrow, the scowl only slightly lifted from her face.

"Don't worry, sis, we'll get there when we'll get there," Risa tried evading—but very poorly. Riku could see right through her but let it slip for now.

"Well, let's get this over with. If you're going to make me suffer, better make it quick or else I might slam the door on your boyfriend's face and you wouldn't want that as his first impression on your family, now would you?" A smile was now playing on Riku's lips.

"You're not mad anymore? What perfect timing for him to come!" The other burst out into a fit of giggles.

Riku sighed inwardly.

Just then doorbell rung. Both of them looked at each other and smiled and before Riku realized it, Risa was already on her way out of her sister's room. The elder Harada simply went back to writing, trying to think at the back of her mind who Risa's mystery man could possibly be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Love At Second Sight**

"Riku, Riku, RIKU!" Risa shouted, obviously irritated by her sister's reaction when she told her who her boyfriend was. It was reasonable actually, for her sister to be stunned but really, she didn't need to be _speechless_.

She went upstairs to tell Riku her boyfriend's name to reduce the inevitable awkwardness between the two exes. Risa wanted to make sure her sister was aware of what was possibly going to happen.

The younger Harada knew that she'd have a mental breakdown if her sister disapproved of her relationship with Daisuke. He still had feelings for her when he was dating Riku and she was worried that that might get him kicked out altogether. She was driving herself crazy with all the questions in her mind—not once did she even think that her sister didn't care more about her happiness than a failed relationship. She knew her sister was great, but what would happen if she didn't want her to go out with him? Risa could never stand Riku being mad or disappointed at her.

'_Why, oh why, did I not tell her that Daisuke is my boyfriend?! Did I really think that she'd be one hundred percent okay with it?! Risa, what were you _thinking_?'_ Risa scolded herself and stifled a frustrated groan.

Risa knew that her sister was shocked—Daisuke Niwa was her old best friend and she turned him down years ago so that she could go out with Dark when she was still in love with the mysterious thief.

"Okay, so you want me to believe that your new boyfriend is the best friend of Dark Mousy and the very one you _dumped_ when we were younger? Are you sure this isn't some kind of plot to get Dark to notice you again?" Riku asked with a raised eyebrow. She made it clear that she wasn't going to give up without a fight and an explanation.

'_Risa's boyfriend is Daisuke Niwa…God, how I want to laugh!'_ Riku's voice echoed in her mind. She was doing her best to not laugh but it was hard in a situation as hilarious as this.

She knew that her sister was on the verge of begging her to give Daisuke a chance; that he never really meant to hurt her—which she knew only too well. Thankfully, Daisuke hasn't seemed to have told his girlfriend about the times they've talked in the past year and that it was her who encouraged him to make a move on her sister. She already gave him her full support and consent. Now there was only Risa left to tease.

Just as Risa was about to open her mouth, Riku couldn't take it anymore and laughed. It caught her sister by surprise since she seldom laughed nowadays. Risa looked at Riku if she turned into a monkey—that only made the elder Harada laugh harder.

Risa sighed. Surely she could talk some sense into her; she had to find a way. Truthfully, she was ready for an angry lecture from her sister about Daisuke not being right for her, not a laughing fit. She didn't even know why Riku was laughing—maybe it was out of amusement or maybe she was so stressed that she would have laughed at anything ironic (or she finally snapped). That's right, her relationship with Daisuke _is _ironic, but not amusing enough to laugh at like a maniac…right?

"No, I'm as sure as I'm standing here that I am _not _using Daisuke to be noticed by Dark."

"You win, you win! Let it be known—you could write this down, you know—that I, Riku Harada, yet once again surrender to your eternal innocence." She raised both her hands as a sign of surrender before trying to take a deep breath to calm herself.

**Daisuke and Dark's POV**

"So, kid, how does it feel to finally be able to get the girl of your dreams after what, twelve-thirteen years?" Dark asked with a smirk while he and his best friend, Daisuke, were sitting down on the living room couch of the Harada twins' New York home.

Dark was now a successful engineer and living in a mansion not too far from the city, he transferred right after he finished college. He was still the same—mischievous, handsome (if the girls around him were any bases), a body to die for and quick-witted as ever, shocking as it may seem. He actually used his common sense once in a while, getting himself out of trouble without wasting his money.

Daisuke was a corporate lawyer and, though it shocked even his own best friend, won every one of his cases. He was now stable enough to start his own family and he wanted to do so more than anything else. He was still meek and quiet but he knew how to start, last and win a good argument—just never with Dark.

"It feels great! But you could try to be a little bit more sincere about it. It isn't as if your past and present relationships are being admired." Daisuke threw a pillow from the couch at Dark.

"I _am _sincere, I swear. But unfortunately your only serious relationship before was with _Riku Harada_—the _twin_ sister of your new girlfriend. How do you think she'll take it?" He threw the pillow back, hitting Daisuke squarely in the face.

"She'll probably take it pretty well. If you haven't lost your mind yet, you should remember that Riku and I left each other on good terms. We also talked a few months ago and she didn't kill me, does that help?" he asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the older violet-haired guy beside him.

"If you say so, it's just that—"

"You dumped Risa on your fifth date, what else do you want me to say?"

"Fine, you win, but you have to consider the fact that you were and are in a relationship with Riku and Risa and if my memory serves me right, you only really loved Risa. I think you're being a little bit unfair."

"I am not unfair just because I had relationships with both of them. I _liked_ Riku as more than a friend, I'm proud to say that, but through it all I guess you're right, my heart only belonged to Risa."

"See, I can be right about a few things on your love life. Okay, I won't fight you but just keep what I told you in your stubborn head." He laughed lightly.

"You can bet on that. Hey, are you excited to see Riku after all these years? I mean, you must miss having someone insult you and not falling over herself for you to notice her," He commented with a small smile on his lips.

"Not really, but I'd like to see what that know-it-all looks like. Bet she's gone from immature to—"

"You'll be surprised, Dark. I'm not lying. Just wait and see for yourself, okay? Keep your mouth shut for now."

**Normal POV**

After leaving the room of Riku, Risa went downstairs to tell the guys that her sister would be down soon. When she arrived, the two 'men' were laughing on one of the living room couches. When Daisuke saw her, he immediately stood up and walked to Risa while Dark stayed where he was. He was still uncomfortable knowing that Risa had 'loved' him before…but if it made Daisuke happy, then he'd have to stay out of it.

The couple was now sitting across from Dark with Risa looking quite pale.

"Come on, Dark, if you're here to make sure of Daisuke's safety, you still have to face my sister and earn her approval," Risa stated with a sigh. She just knew this night would blow up in her face—especially since she hadn't told Riku about their other guest.

"Which won't be easy in your case because if _my_ memory serves me right, you and Riku never talked when you left much less reconciled since you've last seen her seven years ago," Daisuke remarked with a light chuckle while Risa was just looking around the living room, as if looking for something.

"Win her approval? Doesn't she like Daisuke already? And don't be such a wiseass Dai because from where you're standing in this situation, you're just as helpless." Dark put his hands behind his head.

"Yes, but there's still a lot of tension between you and my sister, maybe that could—" Risa couldn't finish her sentence in fear of breaking down—which was not the proper thing to be done right now.

She started getting nervous when her sister started laughing when she told her who her new boyfriend was. She almost forgot that Daisuke and Riku was a couple before. Ugh, why in the world was she _laughing_?

"Don't worry about it. I'll make sure she doesn't get carried away by her emotions enough to separate the two of you apart. She couldn't be that cruel."

"Of course I'm not, _Mousy_. Do you people know that it's rude to talk about someone behind their back when they're just upstairs? It can be really insulting," another female voice interrupted.

They all turned to the voice. There, on the last step of the staircase, Riku stood, hands on her hips with a smirk on her face and happiness evident in her eyes.

The moment Dark saw Riku, it was as if he was at home. She looked angelic to him after years of not seeing her. He had just proven to himself, right now, that he really _did_ miss Riku Harada. Her eyes seemed to sparkle in the late afternoon light. Her auburn hair had almost the same style as years ago but it now seemed so new and exotic to him. And her _body_, even through the loose shirt and somewhat baggy shorts, he could see that she had curves at _all_ the right places. To him, she was glowing—but he was biased.

He really couldn't take it anymore. Just hearing her voice made something deep inside him stir a little. If he was going to survive the night without doing every trick in the book to seduce her to sleep with him, he needed her to be mad, extremely so, at him because without that factor…he didn't even want to think about what he could do to her, with all the time he'll have for the holidays. He noticed every single thing about her in a millisecond, a new record for observing someone he had always teased and insulted before.

Looking at her but not being able to call her his, now _that_ was _cruel_.

On Riku's part, when her eyes spotted Dark Mousy, she was absolutely furious. Her blood seemed to boil and she had to resist the urge to fist her hands. It was a miracle that he was the first person she laid her eyes upon on in the first place.

But God, he was handsome. She mentally shook herself. Where had _that_ come from?

She had to hand it to him, though he was sitting down, she could see his flat abs, broad shoulders and the lean muscles that must have made up his whole body. His hair was a little messy but she could see that he actually used a comb some time before. His eyes were full of unreadable emotions and a sort of mystery radiated from him. She just saw Dark again now after seven years and they left on bad terms, she couldn't possibly be feeling something for him! No, no, no, it's just…some type of…_hate_, that's right.

She hated him with every fiber of her body. It was their first encounter in a long time, they were sworn enemies and one look couldn't have changed _anything _between them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Girlfriend?**

They had a good enough dinner that night, nothing out of the ordinary—Riku not talking to Dark, Dark not talking to Riku, Risa looking worried and Daisuke feeling out of place. Absolutely normal.

**Riku's POV**

'_What the hell is wrong with me?! Dark is Daisuke's best friend and Daisuke is the new boyfriend of my sister. If I don't talk to Dark soon, Risa will have a nervous breakdown. I have to be nice to both Daisuke and Dark, no matter how much I'll regret it later. Not only are they…friends visiting but they are guests and it is my—and Risa's—responsibility to make them feel welcomed. Oh, God, there's no way out of this.'_

**Normal POV**

"So...Dark, what are you doing now? Teasing all the girls who don't fall head over heels for you?" Riku asked him, a sinking feeling in her stomach. She buried her head in her hands, her elbows on the table. She did _not_ want to do this.

At first, Dark was surprised to hear Riku speak to him at all—who wouldn't be? They stopped talking to each other years ago and he could still remember the last thing he said to her. He turned to look at her and saw her slumped form. He sighed.

She was just doing this for her sister, he could understand that.

"If only I knew more girls like that, I just can't seem to find them these days. I'm an engineer…and to be polite, how about you?" he asked, smirking a little to lighten the room's mood. Daisuke and Risa were looking as if they were waiting for a bomb to explode.

"How sad…why don't I find some for you? Then you can try to make them all fall in love with you just like before. I'm an editor now." She leaned on her chair, still not making eye contact with Dark but thanking him for not making it so hard for her. That had to be a first.

"An editor? Yeah right and I'm a fashion designer's intern! You are _really_ underrating yourself, sis. I've been working with self-absorbed, conceited snobs and you are _not_ one of them. 'Ku, you're the _CEO_ of one of the _biggest_ magazines in the _world_ and you're still saying that you're _only_ an _editor_?!" Risa shrieked in indignation.

"Eh, how else will I introduce myself to people, huh? Hello, I'm Riku Harada, the CEO of Modern, one of the biggest magazines in world?"

"You _are_ the CEO of one of Modern! Am I not right Daisuke?" She immediately looked straight at Daisuke.

Daisuke nodded enthusiastically with a grin on his face as a reply. Then she looked at Dark.

"How about you Dark, don't you think I'm right?"

He shook his head. If anything, Riku thought he'd be the first to take a chance to tease her and her 'ways' as he called them when they were younger.

"Nah, that'd be such a pain. Publicity's not my strong point so you shouldn't be asking me that. Plus, I've met with the president of Modern and he says his position before his own name, it was degrading more than anything else."

Riku clapped her hands when she heard this. _'_Finally_ someone understands how it feels to have Risa as my sister. Well…Mr. Thompson really _is_ an arrogant bastard.' _

Risa looked at Dark with flames in her eyes, and then she glared at Riku.

"Fine," Risa sighed as she crossed her arms across her chest and started sulking like a child. "If you want to be looked down upon on, it's fine with me. As long as I can say that we are in _no_ way related anymore in public, deal?" she demanded, as if she finally found a silver lining in her _'huge'_ problem.

"Whatever you say, Ris." Riku said with a smile.

"Now then, Risa, where do you think we can go out tomorrow? I hear that it's going to be a sunny day without a cloud in the sky," Daisuke changed the topic, clearly trying to lessen the tension in the room.

"Where should we go? Let's see…how about that great art museum everyone's talking about, what's its name again?"

"The New York Art Museum?" Riku suggested, suppressing a laugh. Her sister really _was_ an airhead sometimes.

"Don't be a wiseass, 'Ku. Anyway, I think we should go there then we can eat at one of those nice restaurants around the museum. After we go to the places you want to go to we could head to Central Park and watch the sunset. Wouldn't that be romantic, Daisuke?" Risa asked with a dreamy look on her face.

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Daisuke agreed with a happy smile.

All the while the two love birds were talking, Dark received an important message on his Palm Pilot and Riku went to the kitchen to talk with two maids.

After a few minutes, the table was cleared and Riku announced that dessert was going to be served soon. She was at the head of the table, waiting for the maids to bring in the sundaes she made, with her own homemade ice cream and chocolate sauces.

"Yes! Dessert! What are we having tonight, 'Ku? It's been a long time since you've made _anything_, I can't wait!" Risa exclaimed gleefully, giggling.

"You actually cook?" was Dark's reaction to Risa's questions. He then looked at Riku with a sincerely surprised expression on his face.

"Yeah, my mom and I did some dishes when I was younger and when I was old enough my parents got me my own cooking teacher. But unfortunately, my dear sister can't even boil an egg since she was too lazy to learn." Riku glared at said sister before rolling her eyes at Daisuke.

"I feel sorry for you, Dai," Dark muttered with his trademark smirk.

"Why would you feel sorry for me?" Daisuke asked skeptically.

"Because you're possible future wife can't cook," Dark declared before he started laughing hard.

At hearing the statement, both Risa and Daisuke blushed and the latter mumbled something incoherent under his breath.

But before anyone could stop Dark, his phone rang and at that same moment something crashed in the kitchen. Riku's face darkened and she was ready to scold the person who had made whatever broke to break. She left her seat and paid no heed to the growing fear and disgust on Dark's face.

Dark look horrified, as if the number that flashed on his phone was of a murderer's. "Shit," he growled, clenching and unclenching his jaw.

"What's wrong?" Daisuke asked from across him, concern chasing off the blush on his cheeks.

"It's Saehara's kid. Remember the girl that kept stalking me? Damn, I thought she wouldn't get my number this time."

"Don't you have a TRO against her?" Dai inquired, realizing the seriousness of the situation, his breath unsteady.

"It expired, I guess. Dammit, what the hell am I going to do?"

"What are you guys so worried about? It's only a fan girl, you should be used to that by now, aren't you, Dark?" Risa voiced out, confusion and worry alternately taking her features.

Dark looked up from his phone just in time to see Riku taking her seat, her eyebrows furrowed from the tension she could feel in the room. A slow smile made its way to Dark's handsome, chiseled face. His best friend noticed the light glinting in his eyes and he knew Dark's mind was forming a plan that would get him into serious trouble later on.

"Dark, what are you thinking?" But he was too late.

"Riku!" The violet-haired man called happily and grinned when he saw the surprise in the elder Harada's eyes as she turned to look at him.

"Huh?" was all that she could get out before something was shoved roughly into her hand. It was only then that she noticed her archenemy standing right in front of her.

"I need to ask you a favor. Could you please answer this call and tell the girl that I want nothing to do with her?" He stopped before awkwardness settled on his face. "You could add somewhere that you're my girlfriend—" He held up a hand when he saw the anger, suddenly replacing the shock, radiating from the brunette. "I told her that I'm with my girlfriend and she knows that Dai's with Risa."

Riku glanced at her sister. She was smiling broadly, giving her a thumbs-up sign. Daisuke was pleading her with his eyes. "Please, Riku, Megumi's…crazy, to put it lightly. She even broke into Dark's house! I was visiting then and she almost gave us heart attacks…please, Riku?" Daisuke asked with a terrified smile. The phone in her hand continued to ring, the tone was making her head ache.

She glared at Dark. "Fine but I'm only doing this for my sister." She pressed the answer button on the phone and held it to her ear before she could back out and give her sister a mental breakdown.

"Hello?" she snapped when deafeningly loud music reached her ears. "What the hell do you want?" She scowled at the whiny voice on the other line.

"Who is this? This is Dark's phone, who are you?" the same irritating, high-pitched voice cried out hysterically.

"I know that this is his phone, you dimwit. You're disturbing us. He's out right now so leave a message. I'll be hanging up on you in about two seconds." Dark returned to his seat with a small, grateful smile. Her scowl only got worse when the girl started screaming in her ear.

"ARE YOU HIS GIRLFRIEND?!" Riku had to distance the phone from her ear in fear of losing her hearing altogether. The music continued blaring in the background, making Riku's head hurt more than she could ever remember.

Riku rolled her eyes at all of them. Risa and Daisuke were trying to stifle their laughter and Dark looked uncomfortable. "Of course I am."

"So he wasn't lying when he told me that he would be out with his girlfriend tonight…" Suddenly the girl laughed. "Oh well, good for you. Sadly, he doesn't stay with anyone too long so it's better you're with him now than when he'll be ready to settle. Thanks, love." Megumi giggled to herself and Riku could feel her blood boiling. Just who did this girl think she is? Even if she wasn't Dark's real girlfriend, this Megumi person didn't have a right to mock her.

Riku scoffed. "Oh, so you're still going to stalk Dark? _Sadly_, he doesn't like you so it's better that you just give up now than later when he'll be settling with me and I'll be forced to take care of you myself. Too bad, _love_," Riku answered scathingly, mocking the girl with a triumphant grin.

"Do you actually believe he's going to ask _you_ to _marry_ _him_? If he won't even go out with me, what makes you think that he's going to _propose_ to _you_?"

"He said so himself, of course." This Megumi girl was really starting to get on her nerves. What did she think of her?

"_NEVER_!" Megumi shrieked so loudly that Riku had to bring the phone away from her ear again.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, I think you mean 'forever'."

"What's your name?" the Saehara demanded angrily, Riku could practically feel her anger but she knew she could handle her even with her hands tied behind her back.

"Riku Harada." She raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"I'll get you, Riku Harada." Then the line went dead.

"Thanks, Riku. I owe you one." Dark turned to look at her when she handed him back his phone. He pocketed it and smiled at her gratefully.

"That was a…nice experience," she muttered, putting two fingers on her temples and then looking at Dark.

The sundaes finally arrived and Risa didn't stop questioning her sister and then talking about their date with Daisuke. Before long, Risa declared it late enough to offer a room to their guests. She looked expectantly at her sister.

"Come on, 'Ku, it would be rude if we let them leave at this hour!" Risa cried out with a pleading look. _Of course_ she'd want Daisuke to stay the night.

Riku looked at the clock and saw that it was already midnight. She nodded. "Okay, it's fine with me but we shouldn't force them to stay, Risa."

"I'd love to stay, I'm already exhausted anyway. Thanks you guys." Daisuke smiled at the twins before locking hands with his girlfriend and heading upstairs.

Riku and Dark were left alone in the dining table.

The elder Harada sighed. "Okay then, I'll show you to your room?" she suggested, standing up from the nearly deserted table.

"Nah, you don't have to." Dark shook his head with a smirk.

"I'd be rude if I left you looking for an empty room," Riku protested, unconsciously placing her hands on her hips.

"Don't worry about it. My boss designed your house; I think I even have the blueprints in my office." He had to bite his tongue when he almost said 'I could probably sneak into your balcony with my eyes closed', that would just be pushing his luck.

Riku started walking but still had a skeptic look on her face. She sighed then nodded. "If you say so. Just pick from the three guest bedrooms. Daisuke will probably sleep in Risa's room…" Riku shrugged.

Dark nodded at her with another smile. She left without saying good night and Dark found himself wondering why it was affecting him so much.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Brothers**

Dark and Daisuke woke up early the next day. Risa was practically flying—obviously something happened between her and Daisuke. But Riku, never really a morning person, was disagreeable when her sister yanked her from bed and shoved her towards the bathroom.

When the sisters descended their marble staircase and entered the dining room yet once again, Dark and Daisuke had already started talking about St. Moritz, skiing and the like.

"Morning, Risa. Morning, Riku…still not a morning person?" Daisuke greeted with a smile.

"Don't get on my nerves today, Daisuke, I couldn't sleep last night because of you two." She glared at her sister and her beau.

Riku wasn't lying. Last night, she could hear bodies being slammed on the walls and other noises that made her wish she didn't sleep in the room beside her sister's. Finally, she was so fed up that she moved to the living room—she didn't even check the guest rooms because she didn't want to talk to Dark at so ungodly an hour—and moved back to her room about an hour or so before Risa pulled back her curtains and shook her awake.

The couple blushed and Dark laughed at their reaction. "That was the two of you? Really, who would have thought you guys could get so wild," he commented, a smug look on his face. He turned to Riku who had slumped over in the chair beside his—she must be really tired if she didn't notice who was sitting nearest to her.

Riku groaned and hit the table with a fist.

"Don't worry about her, she just needs some food to wake her up," Risa assured Dark when he looked at Riku strangely.

"Are you still against caffeine in your system?" Dark asked Riku, referring to a conversation they had when they were in high school and he was in a phase where coffee meant life.

Riku looked at him blearily before realizing that he had asked her a question. That seemed to wake her up a little bit. "Of course I am, unlike you, I'm sure." She scoffed at the offended look on his face.

"Actually, Riku, Dark doesn't drink coffee…come to think of it, he doesn't drink any sort of caffeinated or alcoholic drinks anymore," Daisuke informed, a look of pure awe on his face.

Riku raised a brow. "Well, it's comforting to know that you listened to me at least once before," she said to him sarcastically.

"Oh come on, can't you stop fighting for _at least_ ten seconds? We haven't even been here for three minutes and you two are already starting up again!" Risa cried out just when the maids entered to serve their breakfast.

Riku didn't answer her. Instead she ordered Dark to shut up with a glare then held up both her hands. Dark caught on quickly and smirked at the immatureness of it all. Slowly, one by one, Riku's fingers folded. When only her right pinky was left, she grinned widely and stuck her tongue out at Risa.

"That's really mature, 'Ku. Aren't you supposed to be older than me?" Risa frowned.

Riku shrugged then started putting food on her plate. Dark and Daisuke were already beginning to eat. When they were done, the two men had to leave. Daisuke promised he would come back after a change of clothes at his house.

A week had passed since that memorable night with only Daisuke visiting Risa. In fact, Riku almost forgot that she had met Dark at all after the meetings, interviews and shoots she had to attend. She was exhausted, only getting at least seven hours of sleep every night and working from nine in the morning 'til around ten in the evening most nights. Risa was worried for her sister, she knew more than anyone else that Riku needed a break before she spontaneously combusted.

Before Riku left the house the next Thursday, the door bell chose to echo throughout the house. "I'll get it!" she yelled to Risa and all the maids in the house being the nearest to the door.

She checked herself in the mirrors that lined the hallway going to the front door. She made sure her hair was in a perfect, reasonably high ponytail and that she didn't have a bit of dirt on her face. Her suit was both flattering and professional. It had to be, Risa had designed it just for that purpose in the first place as a gift to her overstressed sister.

She opened the door with a smile before rolling her eyes at the red head grinning at her. "Daisuke," she greeted. "She'll be down in a few hours, make yourself comfortable." The elder of the Harada twins smirked at him, leaving the door open for him to enter.

"Risa, Dai's here! Remember, it's the New York Art Museum!" she called out as a good-bye. She loved teasing her younger twin of their dinner conversation the week before. Risa screamed something back at her but Riku ignored it and walked towards her silver Mercedes-Benz, the only car she actually liked out of all the cars Modern gave her freedom to own.

The ride to her office was slow. So slow in fact that, as always, those on the sidewalks were reaching their offices and appointments faster than those on the road ever would. She was thinking idly to herself of the board members' meeting that afternoon. The last thing she needed was to baby-sit thirty grown men and women and made sure they didn't bite each other's heads off when all she wanted was to shut them all up.

A flash of violet caught her eye and she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her when she saw none other than Dark Mousy walking briskly towards Modern. Luckily, the office had a valet. She maneuvered her car quickly to the front of the twenty story-high glass building that was Modern Mag's main office building.

She allowed the valet to open her door before pulling her suitcase after herself out of the car. Riku smiled at the car attendant then hurriedly made her way to the retreating back of Dark.

"Miss Riku! Good morning!" Peter, the guard she was friends with, greeted with a broad smile, his silver hair glinting under the sun's rays that easily made its way inside the front lobby.

"Hey Pete, anything new happening today?" she asked with a smile of her own, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to demand to know what Dark Mousy was doing in Modern.

She picked up the stack of magazines and letters left for her on top of Pete's table. People really needed to learn to suck it up and find a way to reach her personal office, not leaving things meant for only her to see in the entrance hall.

The fifty-three year-old man nodded his head enthusiastically, looking over Riku's shoulder with an even wider smile than she had ever seen on him.

"One of the owners of Modern's coming to check the magazine. They say he's the hardest boss to please."

The executive blinked in surprise at what she just heard. "He must be a real slave driver if he's worse than Mr. Herdrowe. Who is he?" Riku was already anxious to go to her office and get ready to meet with _this_ boss. She's already met Mrs. Miranda Black, a pleasant, reasonably tolerant woman in her late thirties, and Mr. William Herdrowe, someone she didn't want to be within ten feet ever again.

"I don't know, Miss Riku. But I think you'll get to meet him soon enough," Peter commented with a shake of his head.

Riku nodded at the older man before making her way towards the elevator. She was so engrossed in the magazines and letters in her hands that she didn't notice the ping that signaled she was already on her floor.

"Excuse me, are you getting out on this floor?" a kind voice asks from her side, she didn't even notice that she wasn't alone!

Riku almost jumped three feet in the air before the embarrassment kept her grounded. She turned her head to be met with golden eyes slightly hidden under equally golden locks but clearly clouded over with amusement at her absent-mindedness. She was sure he was handsome but there was something that she didn't like in the man.

"Oh, yes, thank you." She walked quickly off the lift and made the proper turns to reach her CEO office which peacefully overlooked most of NYC.

"Hey 'Ku, how's my favorite CEO?" Asha Williams, her executive assistant, welcomed her with a great smile threatening to tear her fragile face in half.

Riku shrugged, sitting down in her chair behind her oak desk. "Fine, I guess." She stayed quiet for a few minutes, organizing the folders on her desk as Asha moved around the office, preoccupied with making it sparkle.

"I heard that we have a visitor. Do you know who he is? I've never even _heard_ of Modern's third owner," she declared in disbelief, not looking up from the files in her hands.

Asha laughed hysterically. "You mean visitor_s_. Riku, one of the owners and his _brother_ are visiting. How could you not know this? Where were you during that impromptu conference Mr. Thompson had the other day?"

"Today's a Thursday, when did he have it?" Riku wrote something down on the fashion section of one of their rival magazines, Chic.

"Tuesday, I think. Anyway, you were in another meeting so I won't tease you about them. Speaking of whom, you have a meeting with the owner in a few minutes. Sir T's having a heart attack because they called for you before 'the president of this whole damn magazine section'. You should have seen him when he told me to tell you to go to ConRoom 2," Asha declared, mocking their boss near the end of her little speech.

"Brothers?" Riku echoed, her brows furrowed. Nonetheless, she stood up and walked towards the doors.

"Yup, brothers."

"Are you going to tell me who they are?" Riku questioned sarcastically, already knowing the answer. If she knew the girl in front of her at all then she would have to find out the identities of the brothers herself.

"Of course not, but I will tell you though, they are _hot_. I like the owner better though, more my type. That reminds me, give me a good word, 'kay? Maybe a raise or promotion," Asha called after her friend, who had walked out of the office when she refused to give in to her wishes.

Riku reached Conference Room 2 much too quickly in her opinion. Maybe she could go back to her office and let Asha tell Mr. Thompson that she didn't have time for the…owner and his brother. Oh gods, she had to go inside.

"…I'm telling you, she's a great author." someone's muffled voice reached her ears before she could knock on the door.

"How would you know? For all we know she could be a fake like all those other suck ups we used to have," this time a more assertive male snorted with disgust.

"Come on, I've known her since _kindergarten_. Sure, we haven't talked in years but talent doesn't fade with time, now does it?" the other guy countered more forcibly this time. Whoever this guy was, Riku was rooting for him! She knew how it felt always being rejected and having no one stand up for her.

"She has a great job and she's being paid more than she ever could earn as an author..." the enemy, as Riku had labeled him in her mind, was cut off by the other man with a snort of his own.

"Yeah right, it's been her dream for years. I've seen her work; I'd sponsor her myself if only the rules didn't prohibit me from doing so." Woohoo! Go whoever you are! Riku couldn't help but smile at the second man. Whoever he was trying to help should be very happy _even_ if he couldn't sponsor her. This was probably the brother of the owner fighting the owner himself, who _wouldn't_ feel grateful?

"Would you? Come on, little bro, she's better off this way. She's such an asset to this company. You should see her work, she's much better as an editor than an author, hands down." Riku scowled when she heard this, she knew so many people who were being praised for their editing skills rather than what they really wished to be known for—herself included.

"I _would_. I can't help but feel a little guilty for not knowing about this earlier, you should have told me! You knew her from way back then too, didn't you?"

"Well…of course I did. I would have done something if only she wasn't doing such a good job," the voice sounded uncomfortable...and familiar. In fact, both the voices seemed much closer to home than she wanted to believe. Now that she thought about it…

"Just admit it, you didn't know about her until I called this morning."

"Fine, yes, I had no idea. I don't have time to keep track of all of them, alright?"

"I don't know why we're still having this conversation when—"

Riku had had just about enough so she forced herself to knock on the door. The voices inside quickly shut up. The older, more authoritative of the two men inside (the _enemy_) allowed her to come in.

What Riku saw inside was the last thing she would have ever expected seeing. There, sitting at the head of the table was Krad Mousy, Dark's elder brother. That meant…

'_Oh great!_' Riku glared at the two guys in front of her. No wonder she had a bad feeling about the guy in the elevator. It was none other than friggin' _Krad Mousy_!

Krad was the first guy she had a crush on in elementary, long after she and Dark started fighting over anything and everything. He was always kind to her and Risa even if they were six years younger than he was. But when she had confessed that she liked him to some level above friendship, he had instantly turned cold towards her. She hated him more than she hated _Dark_!

Dark was sitting beside his brother, with a guarded look in his deep wine-colored eyes. He was wearing a black jacket over a dark purple long-sleeved polo shirt with black slacks and black leather shoes to complete his work attire. He had his coat hung on the chair he was leaning on.

His brother, on the other hand, was more casual in dark denim jeans and a white button-down shirt. It was like they exchanged personalities. If her memory served her right, she's never seen Dark in anything near formal and Krad in jeans.

But she couldn't deny that Dark looked just as god-like in his work attire as when he wasn't. She wouldn't let any thought on Krad form in her mind.

"Miss Harada," Krad acknowledged, standing up and motioning for her to sit on his other side, across from Dark.

Dark said nothing; his eyes simply followed her as she moved across the room to sit in her designated seat.

"Mr. Mousy." She nodded at Krad coldly; she glanced at Dark and nodded to him as well.

"Riku, you needn't be so formal. Call me Krad, we were friends when we younger, were we not?" he asked her uncertainly, clearly remembering how they had stopped talking. When he thought about it,_ he_ was worse than Dark, based on the way they treated Riku. At least his younger brother never ignored her when she confessed she had a crush on him.

"Of course," Riku replied curtly, leaning in her chair as she took in the brothers in front of her. They couldn't be any more different from each other but Riku had to say that Dark was the more approachable and attractive of the two, to her anyway. Not that she'd ever admit that, even to herself.

"You need to talk to me about something?" she asked a little brusquely when the silence continued to reign in the room.

"Oh yes, right." Krad turned his eyes to his younger brother. "Well, Dark here has been telling me about your application to the publishers in the book section and…" Krad looked at Riku with regret etched on his face.

Dark hit his brother's leg impatiently with his own under the table. "Alright, alright, I called you to ask if you were still interested in your work being published," he offered lamely. It was clear that he wished she would turn the chance down and continue working as CEO.

The brunette was shocked but she sort of got the gist of the conversation she had interrupted only a few minutes beforehand. She couldn't help but feel as if she was only getting this chance because of Dark and not her skill as a writer.

That thought made her scowl at the younger of the two brothers. "Dark," she hissed murderously, glaring daggers at the violet-haired man.

Dark got her message and excused himself from the room, bringing Riku with him. "Sorry, Krad, I have to talk some sense into this girl. Just hold on a minute and I'll bring her back." With that, Dark closed the door after him and turned to the seething Harada ready to kill him with her bare hands.

"What was _that_ all about? I want to get my stories published because they're good enough not because the brother of the owner of the company forced him to! Mousy, who the hell do you think you are?"

"Listen, I wanted to help you out, alright? Risa told me all about the rejections and it just so happened that Krad is my brother and the owner of Modern. If you accept his offer then I'll make sure that those in publishing will seriously _consider_ your works. It's against the rules to force them to accept a story and for the relative of an executive or higher to sponsor someone, only those outside of the company can do that. But Krad's an owner and the privileges he has can help me convince those dimwits to finally publish your work."

Riku was touched but continued to glare at Dark regardless. He was an enemy, why would he want to help her? Never mind that only minutes ago she was applauding him. "Why are you doing this? For _me_ of all people?"

Dark shrugged. "You helped me with Megumi Saehara, I help you with your stories," he answered casually.

"When you weigh a fan girl against a book publishing, I don't think even _you_ could think it fair."

"Just accept it, will you? It's my vague, unusual way of apologizing for all the times I've terrorized you when we were younger, happy now?" he asked, ushering her forcibly inside the conference room again. As much as he wanted to say that aloud, he was mentally kicking himself for dropping a bomb on their delicate relationship.

Riku couldn't believe her ears. Dark just apologized to her…she'd have to see the news if the Apocalypse was due.

But her heart was beating so erratically it was hard to think of anything else other than Dark's thoughtfulness. She couldn't say that she didn't enjoy the sensation.


	5. Chapter 5

_I would like to thank the only two people who reviewed this edited version of Right Place At The Right Time as of...May twenty-fourth. **trulyanimelover06** and **ginensu**, thanks a million for spending a little bit of your time to give me your comments. Anyway, I want to dedicate this chapter to you two! I was really down when I thought no one had bothered to review this story so I'm truly grateful!__ (Smiles)_

**Chapter Five: New…**_**Relationships**_

"So…what you're trying to tell us is that you and Dark are _friends_?" Daisuke's eyebrows shoot up towards his hair line, making it almost invisible.

"Are you guys high right now?" he asked incredulously, turning his eyes to Riku then Dark then back again. The cycle was annoying Riku's already paper-thin patience after all her crazed meetings yesterday. She thought she'd actually have a peaceful lunch without any aggravation for once this week.

The four of them were in one of the most famous cafes in New York, _Day in Night Out_. Daisuke and Risa were widening their eyes every second and they seemed to have been experiencing breathing problems.

"Is it _that_ hard to believe?" Riku glared at the couple noticeably staring at her like some kind of science experiment. She arched a brow, subtly allowing the corners of her mouth to turn upward.

"Of course it's hard to believe! You can't expect us to just say 'Oh, that's great, you guys. So what do you want for desert?' when you two have been enemies since before we even knew what enemies _meant_. How did this _happen_?! I mean, not that I don't like what's happening but you can't blame us for being a little skeptic." Risa allowed herself a shy blush, realizing that she just insulted her sister and her boyfriend's best friend.

Riku couldn't help but snort at her sister inwardly. _'This is what she calls 'a _little_ skeptic'?'_

"Well…" Dark began, a grin playing on his lips. He turned to Riku with a meaningful look. They already talked about not telling anyone of the book publishing deal but old habits die hard and they died harder for Dark when it came to his feisty _former_ sworn enemy.

Riku glared at him, she knew what he was getting at and she didn't like it one bit. But since their friendship was still rocky, she couldn't try anything drastic, like hit him for example. What a lovely world she lived in when she could still cause bodily harm to the infamous Dark Mousy whether he deserved it or not.

"You wouldn't dare. We already went over everything, you jerk!" Riku's voice had steadily hardened with every word she uttered threateningly to the twenty-three year-old sitting smugly beside her. How dare he think he had a right to say anything that had to do with her without _her_ voiced permission?

"You don't even know what I'm thinking." Dark was clearly trying to get Riku pissed off. A look at her dark scowl told him that was doing, as usual, a marvelous job. It wasn't earth-shattering that they would still fight. Twelve years of abhorrence did not go away with just one, albeit astoundingly grand, favor.

"You two seem to be getting along together," a dry, cynical voice commented with amusement lacing his hard words.

Four heads turned to the owner of the voice. Satoshi Hiwatari.

"What are _you_ doing here? Don't you have some houses to destroy, families to ruin?" Risa asked scathingly. What she was saying wasn't true, of course. Satoshi was an architect but Risa wasn't about to be convinced that he would help anyone other than himself.

You had to be blind not to see the determined look on the younger Harada's face, unafraid to tell the world that she was ready to kill the blue-haired genius with her own bare hands, if necessary. Obviously, her hatred towards the man hadn't softened in the years—her willingness to act on it didn't subside either.

"Visiting New York, trying to finish a _construction_ project, like always. Dark, I heard your partner got fired." He looked at Dark, his eyes clouded with flawlessly masked anger towards the young fashion designer seated beside Daisuke.

Dark and Satoshi were long-time friends, though the way they treated each other would tell you otherwise. Daisuke and Hiwatari didn't exactly get along but they weren't enemies either. It just so happened that Satoshi was Risa's 'Dark', her avowed rival, and so Daisuke had a loyalty issue with his girlfriend.

Risa and Satoshi were the creative geniuses in their old school in Azumano, playing instruments here, painting masterpieces there. When Satoshi left it seemed as if Risa had finally cooled off and forgiven and forgotten her number one enemy. Apparently, that was not the case. They had met somewhere only months before and clearly he did nothing to appease the Harada's temper, one milder than Riku's but a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. Not a good choice for someone as brilliant as Satoshi Hiwatari.

Dark nodded, ignoring the other three he was with. He asked what the other man was doing in New York simply with his eyes. They were that close. Their ability to communicate wordlessly and the fact that they chose the same career paths in life couldn't hide their friendship, even if they actually tried.

"You're my new partner for the Player building?" Dark asked with a straight face, his voice unusually cold. He stood up and motioned for Satoshi to follow him to another table without excusing himself.

Riku had never, in the childhood she had spent arguing with and throwing back insults at Dark, seen _that_ look on _his_ face. Ever. This was a new side of Dark Mousy: emotionless, unfeeling and oddly professional. She had to smile at her last thought. If she had been asked five years ago if it was possible the younger Mousy to be mature in any way, she would have laughed outright at that poor, naïve, love-struck girl.

"What's wrong with Dark? Is he the 'never mix business with pleasure' slave-driving type of person?" Riku asked Daisuke, unable to stifle her laughter at the prospect.

"Who knows? Maybe Hiwatari cast some spell on him. Do you want me to find out? I'm more than willing to help you, sis. No really, just tell me," Risa cut in, hints of desperation, hysterics and a lot of anger laced in her sweet, angelic voice.

Daisuke chuckled before coughing when Risa turned to him. "Yeah, Dark's always like that when it comes to work. It's fun seeing the transition, really."

"For all we know he could be like that only because Hiwatari made some concoction and made Dark drink it! It's possible, 'Ku! I'm already volunteering here, Riku!" Risa almost shook Riku from the excess adrenaline her body wasn't used to.

Riku rolled her eyes at her sister. Sometimes she found herself thinking that Risa must like Satoshi in some way but she's too much in denial to actually admit it, even to herself. "Oh, whatever Risa. Just come clean and say that all you want to have is a reason to spend some private alone time with Satoshi." Riku grinned mischievously at the younger twin, in a way that reminded the couple of Dark's own infamous smile.

Risa's eyes narrowed instantly and she was almost going to lunge at her sister when the two absent men came back in a more casual, friendly manner. "Hey guys, what's up?" Dark quirked an inquiring eyebrow at his friends, Dai had his hands busy trying to tame his girlfriend, Riku was snickering at her sister and Risa looked absolutely livid.

"My dear sister just admitted to me, with Daisuke as a witness, that…" But before she could finish her taunt, Risa's hand was quickly and securely clamped over her mouth.

"It was nothing, Dark. You know my sister, always saying the weirdest, most random things." She smiled brightly at the Mousy and completely ignored the blue-haired genius beside him—and the look of…sorrow in his cerulean eyes.

"Well anyway, I invited Satoshi to our trip on Saturday, alright with you guys?" Dark asked, pushing his aforementioned friend into the seat beside Daisuke then taking his own on the other side of Riku.

Riku nodded her head since Risa's hands made it impossible to open her mouth. You didn't need to see the look on the younger Harada's face to know that she would have rather walked out in broad daylight without any clothes on than be stuck with Satoshi for a weekend.

Daisuke was hesitant to give his answer. He had two choices in the matter: choice number one, say no and be rude to his childhood friend or choice number two, say yes and risk having Risa break up with him. He had to take a lot of things into consideration.

"Um…sure, the more the merrier, right?" Daisuke's voice wavered as his girlfriend's eyes widened in horror, betrayal and rage.

"What?! Please tell me you didn't say you're okay with him coming with us?! Daisuke!" she shrieked in utter shock, her hand leaving her sister's mouth to hold unto her boyfriend's shoulders.

"I didn't say I'm okay with him coming with us…?" He had a guilty look on his face and his smile was far from reassuring.

Risa sighed, earning a glare from Satoshi. "I'll bring along Mio if it won't be a burden on anyone," he said in a monotone, looking at everyone but Risa—who he should have known would faint at the thought of Mio Hio still being related to him in any way.

And she did, almost immediately in fact. She caught herself in time but she was pale and shaking when she recovered. "You can't be serious…" She shook her head, trying to erase his last statement from her mind.

Mio Hio was Risa's on-camera best friend and off-camera modeling rival. How is it possible that the only _two_ people she hated in the whole world were dating _each other_? There were six _billion_ other human beings in the world for heaven's sake! What was Hiwatari compared to all those models, actors and entrepreneurs Hio dated one after the other?

Risa was experiencing a sensory overload; there was too much confusion, hatred, anger and fear in her system for her to function properly. Her mind was going through possibilities of the worst kinds, scenarios of the most embarrassing moments and other painful and terrible things a mile a minute. And she thought only her mouth could do that.

Satoshi, albeit his hate for the younger Harada, was worried about the glassy look in her usually radiant chocolate brown eyes and the blood rushing too quickly from her face. He knew that Mio didn't get along with the younger Harada but he never thought that his joining the trip and his bringing just the one other enemy of Risa would bring _this_ about.

"Risa, calm down. It's just Mio Hio, you can handle her. Haven't you done it a thousand times at least?" Riku tried to get Risa to snap out of whatever she was in. She didn't like it when her sister got like this. The only other time this had happened was when Satoshi had become valedictorian of his class, received every arts-related award at the ceremony and allowed Mio to kiss him on the lips in front of everybody in the after-party.

Risa had already hated Mio since they were in elementary and it was harder for her because Mio was a year _younger_ than herself, unlike Satoshi's age advantage on her. The graduation was just shock over shock on Risa and she had to be taken home a few minutes after the kiss.

She didn't understand herself. Why should she care if her two enemies went out and kissed…and did other couple-y things together? She hated them! She shouldn't be affected! She didn't like Hiwatari either, she _knew_ she _didn't_. She was as sure of that as she could see the budding romance between her sister and Dark!

But…

Risa couldn't help the stabbing pain in her chest as she continued to sit, quieted by the shock. She knew at the back of her mind that she didn't care about Hiwatari, never had and never will. But she also knew what a catch he was, as much as it pained her to say it aloud in her mind. Intelligent, artistic, rich, thoughtful (there were a few times in their so-called relationship that he wasn't such a bad guy) and…gorgeous.

She hated herself. How could she do this to Daisuke? _Daisuke Niwa_, the only other person besides her sister who stood by her when she failed, when Dark told her that it wouldn't be right leading her on when there was no attraction on his part…when Satoshi won all those awards then French kissed Mio Hio with ten supervising adults and a thousand students watching.

_What in the world was she doing?!_ She wasn't like Mio who went from one guy to the next, never caring about anything other than her need to be praised. _She loved Daisuke_ and he loved her, had always loved her despite everything she had done and said to him in the span of twelve years and in spite of her ridiculous crush on Dark (who's clearly meant for her sister).

She stood up abruptly from her chair, not caring if it fell or not. She got her purse and her jacket then quickly strode out of the café.

"Risa, wait!" she vaguely heard Daisuke's voice before the door closed behind her.

She hailed a cab and told the driver her address. She leaned back in her seat and resisted to let the tears behind her closed eyelids fall.

What was wrong with her? She had Daisuke! He was the best boyfriend she could ever imagine!

She clenched her jaw to stop the tears and formed her hands into tight, white-knuckled fists to ease the throbbing pain in her heart as another more upsetting thought came to mind.

How could _Satoshi_ do this to her? She had spent years trying to show everyone what a jerk he is and now he's off again with that bitch!

_How dare he?!_

--

"Don't worry about her. She'll be fine, Riku," Dark said quietly as he followed Riku's worried eyes straying towards the door.

She knew she could trust her sister and that she had nothing to be afraid of. But what kind of sister would she be if she didn't worry like crazy over her younger twin? She turned to Daisuke who looked about ready to jump out of his seat and follow Risa wherever she may have went.

Then her eyes landed on Satoshi, he was paler than usual and his eyes were dull and void—as if Risa walking out of the café was heartbreaking for him. If this had been any other time, Riku would have teased Satoshi and Risa about the look on his face.

"I know…but she's Risa, she's sort of a magnet for trouble. If anyone could attract danger on a perfectly safe, bright day as this, it can only be her." Riku tried to smile up at Dark but failed miserably. She was thankful for his strength. Without it, she would have already gotten a cab and tried contacting her sister even if she knew she wanted some space to think and let the news sink in completely. Who would have thought he could actually help her in things like this?

"I apologize for letting things get out of hand. Please tell her that I've backed out of the trip, Riku. Dark, we'll have a meeting on the Player building Wednesday afternoon." Satoshi stood up, his glasses and bangs covering his eyes and the misery that resided there. His coldness was the only thing covering the cracking of his voice had he allowed some emotion to seep through.

"I think I'll go too, you guys. Risa should be somewhere, I'll try to find her and calm her down. I'm sorry, Satoshi, I know she didn't mean to act the way she did," the red-head of the group apologized with his usual guilty expression.

"I can assure you she did," the other man replied in the same monotone before exiting through the doors Risa had just used only minutes before.

"Will you two be okay? Do you think you can handle left alone together?" Daisuke glanced at Riku and Dark when he had already donned his coat over his suit.

"Of course, Dai. If she does anything to annoy me, I can always just storm through the doors and enjoy myself," Dark answered with his usual cockiness, trying to lift the melancholy that hung in the air around the table.

Riku glared at him and was almost about to hit him when Daisuke laughed and she understood what Dark was doing for his best friend. She found it strangely sweet. "Oh yeah, Daisuke, you have nothing to worry about. If _he_ does anything, I can always just…oh, I don't know, hit him and hang him upside down by his toes." Riku smirked at the scowl that formed on Dark's usually carefree face.

Daisuke chuckled again then grinned at his two friends. "Well, alright, if you're sure. I'll call as soon as I receive word from Risa."

With that, Dark and Riku were left alone in their previously full table. The plates were already cleared and only Riku's tea and Dark's bottled water were left to be paid.

"Didn't you say that you 'want no form of caffeine to touch my digestive track'? Or did I mishear and you actually said 'are you insane? I can't possibly live without my tea'?" Dark inquired with a grin, his previously darkened face restored to its original god-likeness.

Riku was still surprised to find out that he remembered their arguments and conversations from seven years ago. She laughed at…them. In just a week, Dark had been able to get a foot on her good side. He was the same charmer she had loathed in her childhood but somehow he matured through the years they'd been absent in each other's lives.

"Of course I said 'are you insane? I can't possibly live without my tea'! What kind of self-respecting, slave-driven fashion magazine editor do you think I would be without _some_ kind of caffeine to get me to stay up 'til the wee hours of glorious workday mornings?" Riku asked back, her voice full of sarcastic and her eyes overflowing with mirth.

Dark shook his head at the younger woman in front of him. He would never have thought this day would ever come. "You know what? I never imagined you as a fashion magazine editor slash CEO, honestly."

"And just what did you think I would grow up to be?" Riku raised an eyebrow in challenge.

"Which answer do you want? Pick-up line or the sincere, I-may-be-punched-in-the-face-because-of-this one?" he asked back sarcastically rolling his eyes, already knowing her response. He wasn't sure if he would really be open with her but he would try his damnedest. He cared for their friendship, that much he could allow.

Riku acted as if she was actually thinking of an answer. _'Let's surprise him, shall we?'_

"Pick-up line, lay it on me." Riku grinned when Dark almost fell out of his chair from the astonishment. Which would have been such a waste, he was wearing his usual office attire after all.

"Sorry, I thought I heard you say you wanted to hear the pick-up line?" Dark looked wary of her, afraid that she might be recovering from some rare mental illness he'd never read about.

Riku grinned again and nodded her head. "Well, yeah, where's the fun in knowing how you really thought of me? Humor me, come on," Riku prodded, her smile growing even wider.

Dark shook his head at her. First it was Risa running out on them and now this. Was he being punished for some unknown crime he had done in his sleep? Then he saw the pure delight in Riku's brown eyes, her worries for her sister almost completely forgotten. Okay, well maybe this wasn't as much retribution as it was fun.

He was about to give in to Riku's request when a loud, shrill ring reached their ears and caused them to cringe. "What the hell? What kind of normal human being would have that ring tone?" Riku hissed in pain and irritation.

Suddenly, another person was standing in front of their table, her perfume overpowering and vomit-inducing.

"The abnormal types, that's who," Dark mumbled back, looking up to the towering Saehara who had a sly smile on her clearly plastic surgery changed face.

"Dark! What a surprise to see you here!" She laughed in her high voice and then frowned when she noticed Riku. "Oh, you must be Riku Harada, Dark's girlfriend, correct?"

Riku didn't even have to pause to think of an answer. "Yes, I am, you bitch. Who do you think you are, interrupting our conversation with that idiotic ring tone of yours? Do you think you could do us a favor and fucking leave us alone? Dark doesn't need someone like you stalking him and breaking into his house," she said in her most scathing tone, standing up to make her point. Even if the other girl was wearing four-inch heels, Riku was still taller and that made Megumi cower in her place.

She took a deep, overdramatic breath and stood her ground. "Whatever, I have as much right to be here as you. And, if you haven't hit your head too many times trying to get your brain to work, you'd know that I did that only one time, could you stop with it already?" the younger girl glowered at Riku, her determination slowly ebbing away when she saw the raw, untainted rage in her eyes.

"Leave, Saehara. If you haven't asked your father, I have another restraining order against you, ten yards," Dark stood up, at least two feet taller than the girl.

Megumi looked like she was about to cry when her crush raised a challenging eyebrow at her but then smirked at Riku and turned around. "I'll get you, Riku Harada. Mark my words, I will."

Dark and Riku looked at each other then at the retreating figure that was Megumi Saehara.

"What a nutcase," Riku declared when they sat back down.

Dark grinned, repeating the words Riku had said to the youngest Saehara earlier.

"I know."


	6. Chapter 6

_Hi again! I'm so sorry for taking such a long time to update, I've been sidetracked then hit with a serious case of writer's block et cetera. You know how it is. _

_I'd like to especially thank **ElveNDestiNy** for her awesome review. You really inspired me to continue writing this! I never thought that anyone would say that about my story, I'm really flattered. And, of course, I would like to thank everyone else who's read and/or reviewed this, there wouldn't be a story if it weren't for you guys._

_Standard disclaimers still apply. _

_I hope you all enjoy reading the sixth chapter!_

**Chapter Six: Secrets**

"Why'd he have to come with us?" Risa asked irritatedly as she packed her bags haphazardly for their trip to one of Dark's client's resort a few hours from the city. Riku sat on her bed, already having finished fixing her clothes and other necessities the night before.

"Maybe because it would have been rude if we hadn't insisted that he comes along?" Riku asked back, rolling her eyes for about the fifteenth time in the past two hours. Her sister could be so…stubborn sometimes.

"But he already said that he would back out! What is _wrong_ with you?" the younger of the two almost screamed, her hands tightly clenched at her sides, ready to hit her sister. She stopped trying to finish packing, who cared about _clothes_ when Satoshi Hiwatari was involved?

"He only said that since you stormed out of the café like he was some kind of plague. Risa, he isn't such a bad guy. I'm sure if you gave him a chance, he'd apologize for whatever it is he did to you when we were younger."

Risa lowered her head in fear that some sort of forbidden emotion would show in her too openly expressive eyes. If she could help it, she didn't want to remember her childhood with that blue-haired genius. _'He can try but it's not like it'll make me feel any better…'_ she thought forlornly before throwing herself on her bed.

In the past week her mind had been filled with Satoshi Hiwatari—each and every minute detail of their rivalry came back to her full-force, unrelenting and powerful. Now that they were older and she wasn't blindly lashing at the young prodigy, she saw just how bigheaded and self-centered she had been. If it was possible, her enmity with Hiwatari was worse off than Dark and Riku's. At least her sister never tried to sabotage one of Dark's final projects to make hers look better…nor did she spread awful rumors about him around campus to let people believe he wasn't as perfect as they thought him to be.

"I _know_…that's the problem." Risa turned to her sister, a small defeated frown on her lips.

"What?" This was the first time her sister ever admitted to being at fault with Satoshi.

Risa nodded her head slowly, carefully choosing her words before voicing them out to her elder twin. "I've been thinking of…when Hiwatari and I were…still in school and I…realized that he never really did anything….wrong to me during those times…he was just…fighting back, I guess."

She paused, allowing the image of Mio Hio and Hiwatari kissing in that blasted after party to form in her mind and the feelings of betrayal, hurt and anger to return. "But that doesn't change the fact that he _did_ fight back! He's such a _jerk_, thinking he's always the best, showing off his paintings to everyone as if there weren't better in the world! If I could go back in time I would make sure he'd get what he deserved, not the pathetic things I thought of!" She stood up defiantly from where she was lying comfortably and started pacing around to release some of her rage.

Riku stayed quiet through all of this, allowing her sister to vent out all her unspoken emotions. What happened? One minute she was saying that he wasn't such a bad person and now she's ranting on how a jerk he is.

"Um…Risa?" Riku called out tentatively, standing up to stop her sister from bringing herself to hysteria.

"Tell me what's really wrong," Riku held her sister's arms tightly in her hands, noticing the tears glazing Risa's eyes.

Risa was almost tempted to tell her sister everything. How she wanted to _apologize_ to Hiwatari! But she knew he'd never listen to her much less accept it after her display in the café. Every time she was close to calling him and asking him to meet her somewhere to talk, she'd always be reminded of the day he kissed Hio right in front her then all she'd want to do was wring his neck for being so…unlike him.

This was giving her a headache.

"I hate him so there's nothing wrong," Risa replied brusquely, slipping roughly out of her sister's grasp and exiting her room without another sound.

--

"I don't know what's wrong with her!" Riku cried out in greeting, taking a seat in front of Dark and Daisuke, partially ignorant of the tension between the two friends who seemed to have their tongues cut off. They were currently at a new restaurant at the Upper East Side that only accepted exclusive customers—and their bribes.

Dark cleared his throat before making the effort to look normal. "With Risa?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow, making sure they were on the same page.

"Of course with Risa! Do you know any other girl I have to live with who's been so _out_ of it lately?" Riku screamed at him, already feeling as if they'd been such close friends for the past year.

Daisuke shook his head. He was clearly trying to get rid of the distant look in his eyes and _that_ did not go unnoticed by Riku. "Maybe she's just rattled up with Satoshi and Mio still dating after that incident during his graduation," he suggested, trying to calm the elder Harada's strained nerves.

"Hey, did she ever find out what happened afterwards?" Dark took a sip of his drink, turning his piercing gaze to the young woman in front of him.

Riku opened her mouth then closed it immediately, she tilted her head to the left when the idea finally registered in her brain. "No…I don't think she does," Riku spoke slowly, as if the words felt foreign to her lips.

This was Daisuke's chance to escape any questioning from his girlfriend's uncannily observant sister. It was hard to squelch the joy he felt at the thought.

"Do you know where she is now? I'll go to her and tell her about it so she'll finally make up her mind about tomorrow." Daisuke stood up from his seat, a little too quickly for Riku to just think of it as normal behavior.

What were Dark and Daisuke talking about before she arrived? She had seen the slight frown on the violet-haired man's face and the anxious way her sister's boyfriend's eyes kept darting around as if he was waiting for someone to call his bluff.

The elder Harada narrowed her weary eyes in suspicion. "Sit down, Daisuke. I know something's wrong so spit it out, I want to know," she demanded authoritatively, challenging the two men across her with her hardest glare.

Dark turned to Daisuke with a hesitant, questioning look on his face. "I told you she would find out, Dai."

Daisuke simply scowled at him darkly before turning back to his girlfriend's elder sister. Why did he even stop to ask? He should just have stood up and left! Dark could handle this without him, couldn't he? "I think you'd rather not know about this."

'_Because I fear too much for my life.'_ He was tempted to add but bit his tongue at the last moment.

"And now I think that I should even more," was Riku's biting retort.

'_Dammit, dammit, dammit, DAMN IT ALL!'_ Daisuke's face had gotten warmer but he knew that if he avoided eye contact or the topic altogether, Riku would only get more aggressive.

"You're too close-minded, 'Ku. You don't want to hear this and I know that you're just going to overreact," the red-head said in his most persuasive lawyer-mode voice. To Dark, it was clear that he was desperate, clutching helplessly at the air.

To say that Riku was insulted would be saying that jumping off a bridge without a bungee cord isn't stupid. Where was this coming from? Riku was sure that it had to do with her sister. She kept quiet in fear of making a scene in this elegantly expensive restaurant. She instead chose to send death threats to Daisuke through her furious eyes.

"Mio Hio's pregnant," Dark interrupted their glaring contest. His red-headed best friend elbowed him and that earned him a serious punch on the arm.

Riku almost wasn't able to hear what Dark had said, too distracted by their show of bodily pain infliction. But when she was sure she had heard it right, she sat rigidly straight in her chair for a moment, hazel eyes narrowed angrily before she lunged unforgiving at Risa's latest _ex-boyfriend_.

"_How_ _could_ _you?_ After _everything_ that you've gone through, you have the _nerve_ to go around and do _this_ to _her_? With someone she _hates_ to top it all off! Just _who_ do you _think_ _you_ _are_? You're a bastard, you know that? A fucking, good-for-nothing son of a bitch!" Before she could hit him though, Dark's arms were around her waist, not allowing her to kill the corporate lawyer just two feet away.

"Dark, let go! I said _let go of me_! I'm going to get you, Daisuke! What got inside that hormone-driven brain of yours, getting someone who _isn't_ your _wife_ _pregnant_? _I thought you loved Risa!_ _You liar!_ You lied to me and you lied to my sister! You're never getting within twenty miles of Risa, do you hear me, you jackass? _You're not allowed to see her again!_" Riku continued struggling, hitting Dark in every place she could, hoping for a weak spot. Daisuke had already run away by the end of Riku's loud tirade, shooting one last, guilty look over his shoulder before exiting the restaurant completely.

When Riku had finally calmed down, Dark put her down and took a deep breath to ready himself for Riku's angry lecture.

But what happened next surprised him. Yes, the younger woman's eyes flashed dangerously under her bangs and her knuckles were so white from her self-restraint for a good ten minutes. But after that, she seemed to become limp. "Thanks," she whispered even if the adrenaline in her body almost painful.

Dark knew what she was talking about but only gave her an apologetic smile. He knew this wasn't about manners or any of that anymore. "Questions? Accusations? Threats?"

She dropped her head onto the table, not paying attention when Dark signaled for a waiter and ordered some food and drinks. "When did it happen?" Riku questioned dully, her voice muffled and dry.

"A month ago at one of Daisuke's clients' parties." The waiter arrived with some tea for Riku, he set it down gingerly in front of where her head met the table.

"How long have you known about it?" she looked up when the smell of jasmine tea reached her.

He looked at his wrist watch, mentally calculating how long he had been sitting with Daisuke before Riku had arrived. "Half an hour, tops."

"Why did he do it?"

"Alcohol," he answered immediately. "Or so he claims," he added cynically, not really believing his best friend but having no other choice.

The cool, light air in the restaurant was such a comfort to Riku's senses. The place was elegant and sophisticated with mirrors making up half of the walls and paintings adorning almost every other corner. Flowers were set as the centerpiece of the room and vases filled with exotic blooms stood in the middle of every table. Riku had always loved flowers, more than even her sister did. If only this wasn't such a stressing day…

This was supposed to be her day-off!

Now, on top of Risa acting so weirdly, she had to prepare for her sister to finally break down. What could she do now? She should have been _protecting_ her sister! Instead she had pushed Daisuke to ask her out…What an awful person she was.

"Is he going to tell Risa about it or will I?" Now, a waitress brought them some French bread with butter and other niceties.

"I think he'll be the one breaking it to Risa."

"How could he do this, Dark? Didn't he always say that he loved her?" Riku whispered more to herself than her companion.

Dark's eyes turned into a deep wine color, a sigh escaping him from his emotional and mental exhaustion. "I don't know. I honestly have no clue, Riku."

Riku brought her head from the table and turned her eyes towards her newest friend. Dark almost gasped, his gut clenching painfully—he had never seen such a look of desperation and…hopelessness in anyone's eyes before.

He swore under his breath.

--

_You've reached Mio! I'm busy at the moment so just leave a message at the tone and I'll call you right back. _

"Mio, this is Satoshi. I would like to know if you will be joining us on the trip tomorrow. I'd appreciate it if you could call me before tonight." The blue-haired genius ended the phone call and sighed before looking around the park he had somehow ended up in.

Should he really go tomorrow? He knew that one of the party would rather die than spend an entire weekend with him—that should be enough reason not to come. But…

His blue eyes suddenly glanced to his right, noticing a man with shocking red hair walking around a few feet away, whispering into his phone urgently. But that wasn't the reason why he had caught Satoshi's attention—he didn't even recognize the face under the hat the other man was wearing.

It was his tone of total exasperation and defeat.

"What do you mean you're coming? Do you want her to hit you or something?" the highly distressed man asked rhetorically, his hand twitching around the device near his ear.

Satoshi squinted at the early afternoon sun, trying to put a face to the voice. He sounded disconcertingly familiar to be a mere stranger.

"I'm telling her tonight, of course…Well, I was trying to find the right moment to break it to her. Um…yeah, I told them. She sort of threatened him to tell her but that's not the point." The man Satoshi was looking at suddenly threw his left hand in the air, his back still miraculously facing the blue-haired man.

"What am I supposed to say to her, Mio?!" he screamed, completely ignoring—or not having noticed—the other person in the park.

_Wait_. Did he just say 'Mio'? Satoshi was instantly frozen on the bench, his mind alternatively going blank then into overdrive.

"Risa, I'm in love with Mio Hio, one of your worst enemies and who is currently dating with Satoshi Hiwatari, and she's pregnant with my child. Are you okay with that?" he continued, his tone as exasperated as before.

_Daisuke Niwa_.

Satoshi thought he saw red as he continued listening to Daisuke's side of the conversation. So _that_ was the reason why Mio had been 'busy' and screening his calls for the past two weeks? He could have murdered Niwa right then and there if he didn't know that Risa could deliver worse blows.

He clenched his fists tightly, forcing to breath through his nose, counting in his head to calm down somewhat.

--

"Riku…" Dark called out, shaking the sleeping woman at his side. They were at the twins' home, Dark staring at the explosions on the wide, plasma-screen TV and Riku, too exhausted to do anything else, murmuring quietly in her sleep, changing her position on the couch.

"Risa…Daisuke…Mio…pregnant…" Dark should have known that Riku's invitation would end up being some sort of baby-sitting job to make sure that she'd get through the first hours after the horror of Daisuke's infidelity. Not that he minded that much…

'_She's cute when she's asleep,'_ Dark thought to himself, tearing his eyes from the movie he wasn't actually watching anyway and smiling softly as Riku twitched then scrunched her nose at something she was dreaming about.

He had long ago resigned himself to the fact that it was useless trying to stop thinking of such unnecessary things about Riku. After the incident at Modern, she was either occupying his mind or filling it with something that was related—whether directly or not didn't really matter to his subconscious.

Dark brought his hand to her shoulder and shook her lightly.

"Dark…don't go…help me…" Riku whispered in her sleep again. Her hands were suddenly clutching at the air beside her, missing his arm in only a few inches. Dark felt a blush stain his cheek momentarily.

'_Thank God no one's here right now.'_

Another shake, a bit harder this time. Still, the brunette didn't wake up but an annoyed sound did escape her lips though. Dark was tempted to laugh—or take a picture of Riku in her sleep—right now.

He moved his head near her left ear, the pull just too irresistible for him. "Wake up, Riku…" he breathed, a small, amused smile gracing his features.

"Go away, Dark…" was her sleepy reply, she rolled her shoulders a bit to escape Dark's hold.

"I thought you wanted me to stay?" he questioned in mock surprise, aware and thankful that Riku was still fully unconscious.

A sound close to a groan left the back of her throat. "_Fine_. Just let me…sleep..."

Dark broke away, his shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter.

And here he thought that he couldn't enjoy Riku's company any more than he already did. He seriously needed to bring his camera next time he came to visit.

_--_

_Please review! I would love to know what you think of the story so far. _

_Do you think I should make some changes in someone's attitude or the dialogues between them? Suggestions and comments are welcome!_


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